Raab Castle

Raab Castle is located in the municipality of Raab in the district of Schärding. It has been attested as the seat of a noble family since 1145. The current building largely dates from the 16th century.

Raab was first mentioned as a settled place in 955. A noble seat of the de Rurippe family is documented in 1145 with "nobilis vir Ruetbertus de ruhrippe". The Rurippers were vassals of the Lords of Wesen and are believed to have died out in the 13th century. From the Rurippers, the property passed to the Waldeckers after a partition agreement on May 1, 1300, between the Weseners and the Waldeckers. In 1382, the lordship passed to the Trauners. In 1387, Hans Aichberger zu Aichberg bei Wesen inherited the castle and the Hofmark Raab. Since Amalai Aichperger married Lazarzus Messenpeck, who was active as administrator of the lordship in Ried, in 1443, the property fell to the Messenpeckers. When their son Hanns died without heirs in 1495, the Raab estate fell to Nikolaus von Sandizell. In 1496, Duke Georg of Bavaria confiscated the property and sold it in 1500 to Bishop Ludwig von Chiemsee. Bishop Sebastian Cataneus had the castle largely rebuilt at the beginning of the 16th century and subsequently managed by administrators. In 1685, Count Johann Veit von Maxlrain acquired the Hofmark Raab. From them, Raab passed by inheritance in 1704 to the Bavarian Barons von Neuhaus. In 1717, the property was sold to the Counts Tattenbach-Rheinstein. The Tattenbachs, whose main seat was in St. Martin, united the lordship of Raab, to which that of Einburg was added, with St. Martin to form a fideicommissum. In 1821, the Counts Arco-Valley acquired Raab. Since they lived in St. Martin, they sold Raab Castle in 1807 without the associated land to the innkeeper Obermayr of Raab; after his bankruptcy, the hat maker Völkl bought it at auction in 1826. In 1849, the municipality of Raab bought the castle as the seat for the newly established district court. In 1850, it became state property. Between 1983 and 1985, the building, which was in great need of renovation, was extensively restored. The moat was also renovated. In 2002, the district court was closed. Today, the castle is privately owned by the Pilstl family. A visit is not possible.